Lunch belts



F. E. BA KER Dec. 8, 1964 LUNCH BELTS Filed Aug. so, 1962 INVENTOR FuL TON E. 8271452 ATTORNE'Y United States Patent Ofice areazas Patented Dec. 8, 1964 &160368 LUNCH BELTS Fulton E. Baker, 6712 Navion Drive, 'Citrus Heights, Caiif. Filed Aug. 30, 1962, Ser. No. %0,416 2 Claims. (Ci. 206-4) This invention is' a novel combination lunch belt consisting of a belt with buckle and carrying a pair of slip-on pockets, said belt and pockets being adapted to be buckled around an ordinary lunch-size Thermos bottle, of quart 'or pint size, with the said pockets carrying sand- Wiches or other lunch foods disposed therein, whereby the user may readily carry his entire lunch in one hand in a compact manner, thus eliminating the use of the usual separate lunch box carried in one hand and the separate "Thermos bottle carried in the other hand, my combination providing a much smaller and compact assembly.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a combination lunch belt of the above type which is made of plastic or similar material consisting of a belt carrying two shp-on pockets also made of plastic tor similar material, the belt being adapted to be wrapped around a lunch-size Thermos bottle and secured by a non-slip buckle, the pockets having tuck-in top fiaps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination lunch belt of the above type provided with pockets of the slip-on type for Simplicity of assembly and ease of cleaning, the pockets being formed of a blank adapted to be folded on a horizontal line to provide an inner and outer wall which are adhesively Secured together, at their ends and middle, the inside wall having pairs of vertical slits therein adjacent each end for the passage therethrough 'of the belt, and the inside Wall being provided on its upper edge With spaced flaps adapted to be folded down within the tops of the pockets When in use to prevent the contents, such as sandwiches or the like, from falling out.

A further object of the invention is to provide the belt in the above described combination with longitudinally disposed otfset ribs, the middle one of which extends substantially the full length of the belt, the offset ribs being molded in the material of the belt and when in use the otfset portions being on the inner face of the belt so as to provide a squeeze-pull on a raised rib on the buckle, also to keep the belt from stretching when applied around the "Thermos bottle, and also` to keep the belt from slipping on the bottle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a buckle for the belt in the above described combination which is preferably made of plastic and has a raised edge `on the center bar thereof so that the buckle will have a greater holding pressure on the belt when the end of the belt is slipped or laced through the buckle'.

I will explain the invention With reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one practical embodiment thereof, to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the ola-ime the novel features of Construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawirgs:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the plastic belt and attached buckle, With the pockets detached.

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the plastic blank from which the pockets are formed.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the belt, with the slip-on pockets mounted thereon, showing the flap of one pocket raised and showing the flap of the other pocket closed.

FIG. 4, is a perspective view of the belt carrying the pockets and showing same buckled around an ordinary lunch-size Thermos" bottle.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the belt buckle, detached; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6, FIG. 1.

As shown, the belt consists of a belt 1 of plastic or other similar material which is durable and can be easily cleaned, the same being of somewhat greater length than the circumference of the ordinary lunch-size "Thermos bottle 2, FIG. 4, around which the belt is to be Wrapped, the Thermo bottle preferably being of the usual quart or pint size. 'Dhe belt 1 is provided with a plurality of oifset spaced ribs la, 1b, 1c, which are preferably molded in the belt at the time of manufacture, three such offset ribs being shown in the drawing. Preferably, the middle oi'fset rib lb extends substantially the full length of the strap, i.e., from the buckle 3 towards the outer end of the belt 1, in order that the strap Will more readily' engage the raised rib 3b (FIG. 5) on the belt buckle 3, herei-nafter described, when the belt 1 is buckled around the Therrnos bottle 2 as shown in FIG. 4.

One end of the belt 1 carries buckle 3 :also made of plastic material, the same comprsng a substantially rectangular frame having a center bar Sa, the inner face of which center bar 3a is provided with the raised rib b adapted to contact the outer face of the belt 1 having the ofiset ribs la, lb, 1c, for the purposes hereirafter described.

The adjacent end of the belt 1 is folded around the adjacent side of the buckle frame 3 with its outer end ld fixedly Secured, preferably by adhesive or the like, to the inner face of the belt 1 so as to secure the buckle 3 'to the belt 1. Any other desired means of fastening the buckle to the strap- 1 may be used.

In use, the free end of the belt 1 would be initially passed through one opening in the buckle 3, the ofl'set portions la, lb, lc of belt 1 being disp'osed on the outer face of the belt so as to engage the raised rib 3b of the center bar 3a of the buckle, and the outer end of belt 1 would then be passed through the other opening in the buckle 3 whereby the ofiset ribs la, lb, 10 Would come directly into contact with the raised rib 3b of the buckle, this arrangement keeping the belt 1 from slpping within the buckle 3 when appled around the "Thermos" bottle 2, and also providing for a squeezepull on the buckle.

Also associated With the strap 1 is a pair of pockets of the slip-on type adapted to carry sandwiches or the like, the'pockets being formed of the blank as shown in FIG. 2, the blank having a base portion 4 of substantially rectangular shape above which is integrally formed a second rectangular portion 4a of substantially the same height as the portion 4 `but of narrower width; and at the top of the portion ta are formed spaced flaps 4b respectively integral With the portion 4a. The portion ta is provided with pairs of spaced slits 4c adjacent but spaced from each end thereof, and is further provided with adhesive 4d at each end and at the middle thereof, as shown in FIG. 2, Whereby when the lower portion 4- is folded upwardly along the line 4e to overlie the portion 4a, the adhesive strips 4d will secure the overlying members 4 and 461 together to form relatively flat pockets adapted to hold sandwiches or the like, with the flaps 4b projecting above the open end of the pockets so that they may be opened as shown at the left-hand pocket in FIG. 3 to receive the Sandwich and then closed as shown at the right-hand pocket in FIG. 3, the outer end of the flap being tucked down between the Sandwich and the inner face of the pocket front wall.

The pockets may be readily slipped onto the strap 1 by merely passing the free end of the strap through the spaced slits 40 above referred to, and pockets 4 may 3 be filled with sandwiches or other food before or after being appled to the strap 1; and when so filled the strap may be readly buckled around the Thermos bottle 2 as shown in FIG. 4 in the nanner above described, to form a single lunch unit for carrying in one hand and comprising a Therrnos bottle and sandwiches or the like which latter may fill the porckets 4.

My invention thus dispenses with the usual separate lunch box and Thermos bottle now customarily carried t by oflice workers or the like, and one which can be readily arried as a unit in lone hand. The whole structure is preferably made of plastic so that it can be readily cleane d, and being made of plastic same is also very' durable. Obviously, the pockets 4 when applied to the belt and the latter applied to the "Thermos bottle, will be entirely out of the way of the belt buckle 3.

I do not my invention to the exact form shown in the drawing, for obviously, changes may be made theren within the scope of 'the claims.

I clairn:

7 1. The combination comprising a Thermos bottle,

a belt around said Thermos bottle, said belt having a' bnckle at one end receiving the other end of the belt;

said belt having longitudinally extending spaced oifset' rectangular base portion and an integral upper portion of said height as the base portion but of shorter length; the base portion being adapted to be folded upwardly upon the upper portion and Secured thereto on vertical lines at each end and intermediate said ends to form said pockets; integral flaps extending from the upper edge of the upper portion between said vertical li'nes adapted to form closures for the pockets; and means for securing the pockets :to said belt.

References cited by the Examirer UNITED STATES PATENTS &51,923 4/07 Graf.

875,486 12/07 Askins 2-338 '946,656 1/10 Cole 2-338 1,0l4,004 1/12 Irwin 224-23 1,170,535 2/16 Hall. 1,361,983 12/20 Greenwald 2-338 1,528,68O 3/25 Marcor 206-4 v 1,533924 4/25 Krezdorn 2-338 1,589,315 6/26 Johnston 224-23 l,606,667 11/26 Rosenberg 224-26 1,968,767 7/34 Howard 224-23 2,057,933 10/36 Brinkman 206-4 2,262,864 11/41 Sherlock 2--338 2383748 8/45 Sherman 224-26 2,987,229. 6/61 Leclerc 2-300 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,154,277 5/58 France.

THERON CONDON, Prmary Examier( GEORGE O'. RALSTON, Exam'nez 

1. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A "THERMOS" BOTTLE, A BELT AROUND SAID "THERMOS" BOTTLE, SAID BELT HAVING A BUCKLE AT ONE END RECEIVING THE OTHER END OF THE BELT; SAID BELT HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPACED OFFSET RIBS PROJECTING FROM ITS BOTTLE ENGAGING FACE TO PREVENT SLIPPAGE OF THE BELT ON THE BOTTLE; SAID BUCKLE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FRAME HAVING A CENTER BAR, A RAISED RIB ON THE CENTER BAR TO ENGAGE THE RIBS OF THE BELT TO PREVENT SLIPPAGE OF THE BELT IN THE BUCKLE; AND POCKETS ON SAID BELT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, WHEREBY THE "THERMOS" BOTTLE AND POCKETS WILL FORM A COMPACT LUNCH CARRYING UNIT. 